Road trips from Southern California: Utah

CaptionCedar Breaks National Monument

Jerel Harris / Los Angeles Times

Cedar Breaks National Monument is closed from October through late May because of heavy snowfall, but the rest of the year, it's a stellar place to visit, and views of the spectacular 3-mile long, 2,000-foot-deep, naturally occurring "amphitheater" are available all year long.

Cedar Breaks National Monument is closed from October through late May because of heavy snowfall, but the rest of the year, it's a stellar place to visit, and views of the spectacular 3-mile long, 2,000-foot-deep, naturally occurring "amphitheater" are available all year long. (Jerel Harris / Los Angeles Times)

The mesa and canyons here highlight classic southern Utah wow factors: stunning red rock and sandstone arches. What makes this area a standout is an abundance of prehistoric dwellings and artifacts that date back as much as 1,200 years ago.

The mesa and canyons here highlight classic southern Utah wow factors: stunning red rock and sandstone arches. What makes this area a standout is an abundance of prehistoric dwellings and artifacts that date back as much as 1,200 years ago. (Bureau of Land Management)

This stretch of south-central Utah could well have turned up in a John Ford movie. Interstate 70 cuts right through the area about 75 miles long and 40 miles wide, offering sweeping views of this land of spires, arches, narrow canyons and gorges.

This stretch of south-central Utah could well have turned up in a John Ford movie. Interstate 70 cuts right through the area about 75 miles long and 40 miles wide, offering sweeping views of this land of spires, arches, narrow canyons and gorges. (Paul Foy / Associated Press)